Three Injured in Stanberry Accident

Three people were injured in a one-car accident south of Stanberry Tuesday morning. The Missouri State Highway Patrol reports that a 2002 Chevy Impala driven by Joseph Higgins of Stanberry was northbound on 169 3 miles south of Stanberry at around 10:27 a.m. when it turned north onto County Road 460. The driver began to swerve and lost control of the vehicle. The vehicle overturned once, coming to rest on its wheels in a field on the east side of County Road 460. Higgins, 63,  received minor injuries in the accident. A passenger, Tyler Higgins, 41, of Albany, received moderate injuries and was taken by ambulance to Northwest Medical Center in Albany. Another passenger, Erin Higgins, 1, of Albany, received moderate injuries and was taken by ambulance to the Northwest Medical Center in Albany. The Impala received extensive damage and was towed by Raymond Smith Towing of Albany.

Tiger Girls Battling Injury Bug as New Coaching Era Starts

The Worth County girls are battling a rash of injuries as Kaitlyn Davidson (concussion), Claire Andrews (strained meniscus), and two other players are out with injuries. New coach Bryce Shafar, originally of Corning, is working on communication and defense with his new charges. He takes the helm after assisting Chris Healy on the boys side last year. Two years ago, he was the assistant for Justin Pearl of King City, where he said he learned a lot of the plays that Worth County will now use.
Above all, Shafar said that he does not want his players to worry about the injury situation and to have confidence in themselves when they step out on the floor. He made his mark early as a motivator for the girls. “I want them to feel that they are the best team out there every time they step on the floor,” he said. He said that Jefferson won games just by intimidating other teams and that it was simply a matter of confidence no matter who the other team was.
One of the team’s strengths in practice this week appears to be the ability to pressure the ball and force turnovers. Areas in need of improvement include rebounding and communication. With Davidson out, the Tigers will need to rely on maintaining physical contact and boxing out if they are to avoid a slew of cheap putbacks. The Tigers were working on a full court press and a half court trap, where the emphasis is on stopping the ball. Shafar plans to switch back and forth depending on the situation. Their main halfcourt defense will be a 1-3-1, which requires a lot of communication by the back person in order to succeed, but which can can create a lot of pressure, which will play to the Tigers’ strengths.
Offensively, the Tigers will do a lot of ball screens, double screens, cutting, and crashing hard to the glass in order to get offensive boards. “They’re doing everything I ask them to,” said Shafar. “Our goal is to come together as a team and get better by Christmas. There is no reason why we should not win a lot more games this year.”

Tiger Boys Dig Hole, Fall to Stanberry

Worth County’s boys dug their way into a 20-4 hole against Stanberry and could not climb out of it, falling 56-41 to the Bulldogs in opening round action of the Albany tournament. Stanberry had just come off of playing for the state championship, but it was the Tigers who looked like they had only had three days  of practice as Stanberry turned the first period into a layup drill, prompting a mass exodus of fans from the building. That followed some unforced errors near the end of the period.
“We need to work on a lot of things to stop that from happening again,” said Coach Chris Healy. “We were not patient enough on offense and 90% of their points in the period were on layups.”
Worth County switched to a run and jump press to start the second quarter and it bothered Stanberry as the Tigers were able to work their way back into the game. Dylan Kinsella, who had not played since his freshman year due to injuries, showed that he was still a force underneath the basket. Going up against a much taller Stanberry squad, he was able to get a career high 14 points on the evening. It was a prayer thrown up by Cole Parman at the start of the second quarter and a 3-point play that seemed to wake the Tigers out of their first quarter funk. Dylan got going after he stripped a Stanberry player who had just gotten a rebound and drew contact after a fake, hitting both free throws to make it 22-10. Brevyn Ross followed with a steal; he was all over the court for the Tigers. He got nine points and several steals off the press as well as one time where he jumped into nearly the top row of the seats trying to save a ball from going out of bounds. Truman Moore had a putback, his first career points, during the stretch as well.
Dylan Kinsella blew by a defender like a guard and drew a foul late in the half to make it 28-24, but hurt his ankle in the process. Stanberry switched to a zone in the second half that Worth County could not solve as they only had 17 points in the frame. “We’re a young team with only one player back and it will take us a while to adjust to what the other team is doing,” said Healy.
With Dylan out for large stretches of the second half, Worth County could not close off the inside game of Stanberry and their 6’6” post player as the lead grew to as much as 47-30 right before the third quarter.
Dylan tried to come back at the 3:46 mark of the third frame, but he picked up his fifth foul early in the fourth quarter and the Tigers could not find enough scoring to compensate. Freshman Chris Alarcon hit an NBA 3-pointer for one of the few highlights of the fourth quarter. Jared Simmons scored his first career points as a Tiger in that frame as Coach Chris Healy emptied his bench in a vain effort to get some kind of offensive spark against Stanberry.
Dylan Kinsella led the Tigers in scoring with 14, followed by Brevyn Ross with 9. Bryce Ross and Grant Parman each had 4. Cole Parman had 3, along with Chris Alarcon. Jared Simmons and Truman Moore had 2.
The focus of the team will be to be more patient on offense and do a better job closing off the inside as they continue play this week.

Four Tigers Named to All State Football Team

Four Worth County Tigers were named to the all-state football team as selected by area coaches. Aaron Patton was named first team at wide receiver. He had 33 catches for 514 yards and 10 touchdowns. Patton was also named as a first team all-state defensive back. He had 2 interceptions and 46 tackles for the Tigers this year. Dylan Kinsella was named first team offensive lineman. Named to second team runningback was Dallas Greenland. He had 138 carries for 1040 yards as he broke the 1000 yard plateau this year. He added 26 rushing touchdowns. He was also named as a second team linebacker, getting two sacks and 89 tackles for the Tigers. Lane Craven was named as a second team defensive end. He had three sacks and 46 tackles for the Tigers this year.

Liz Novak Debuts with 17 for Grundy County

(Trenton Republican-Times) -- The Grundy R-5 teams were on the road, taking on Linn County in a pair of non-HDC Conference games. The R-5 girls gave a good effort in their contest with the Lady Mustangs before falling 34-27. The R-5 boys, meanwhile, ran into foul trouble and dropped a 73-41 decision. The Lady Panthers were actually in control of the game early on, being up 12-6 after one quarter and 19-14 at halftime. Linn County notched up its defense in the second half, outscoring the Lady Panthers 20-8 to seal the win. “It was an outstanding team effort, especially on the defensive end and on the boards,” said Coach Les Jackson. “We led throughout most of the game, but struggled offensively in the second half. R-5 was led by Elizabeth Novak with 17 points, nine rebounds and four steals. Katie Coin added four points and nine rebounds while Kylie Littleton had seven rebounds and four steals.Sidney Gardner and Ronna Owens collected nine and six rebounds respectively and McKenna Owens picked up five rebounds and three steals. Linn County was led by Kelsey Barker with fourteen points.

Worth County RWD Seeks Telemetry System Grant

The Worth County Rural Water District is seeking a grant for a new telemetry system that can operate the north tower automatically. Currently, it has to be operated manually at times, including requiring personnel to be there in the middle of the night. There is a lot of grant money available for water systems this year.

Worth County Sheriff's Report

11-19 -- Alarm call at Grant City business.
11-19 -- Oficers in court.
11-20 -- 3 alarm calls at Grant City businesses.
11-20 -- Car vs. Deer accident; no injuries, officer investigates.
11-20 -- Officers assist with funeral traffic.
11-20 -- Person calls about having someone evicted.
11-21 -- Person calls about cattle out on 110th road.
11-21 -- Officer transports person to jail on Worth County warrant.
11-22 -- Report of a person being bitten by a dog in Worth.
11-23 -- Person in to talk with the Sheriff.
11-23 -- Report of an injured deer on 169 south of Grant City; officer investigates.
11-24 -- Suspicious vehicle call.
11-24 -- Missouri State Highway Patrol in the office with a DWI suspect.

A Thanksgiving & Christmas Prayer

Oh, God, when I have food,
Help me to remember the hungry;
When I have work, help me to
Remember the jobless;
When I have a warm home,
Help me to remember the homeless;
When I am without pain,
Help me to remember those who suffer;
And remembering, help me to destroy
my complacency and bestir my compassion.
Make me concerned enough to help,
by word and deed, those who cry out
For what we take for granted. Amen.

--Author Samuel F. Pugh. Submitted by Glenda Wyer

Doin' God's Work -- Getting Back on Track

How many days does it take to get back on track after a mid-week holiday? I am so thankful for Sunday worship to follow shortly afterwards! Somehow, going to church keeps me on track; it must be the Holy Spirit directing my path to church. Who needs GPS when you have the Holy Spirit?

It is sad to me that Black Friday sets the pace in the future forecast of sales. I didn't go; my last experience didn't go well. I think it is also a test among Christians; do we act like Christians or stampeding bargain hunters? I hope no one spent more time on shopping strategies than giving God thanks for the blessings He's already given to us. God never gets enough praise for the blessings He freely gives us! He is king and still reigns, praise Him!

Wednesday, congregation was a little smaller since some were basting turkeys. Pastor Janis was in North Carolina on vacation. She will return the 27th.

December is coming too fast! Advent Season begins. Candle lighting services will be held each Sunday leading up to Christmas. As Christians, we have so much to look forward to. Over 2000 years ago, the astrologers were also looking for that special star. This week, we may also see some special events in the heavens. A lunar eclipse will happen on the 28th. On December 3rd, 3 planets will line up over Giza Pyramids. God is creating beautiful things for us to keep watch for His return.

On December 2nd, Grant City at noon, they will be Hanging of the Greens decorating; bring a dish to have a luncheon fellowship. Decorating seems to bring out those childhood memories. Hopefully, untangling the lights will not take the joy out of decorating.

Make a Joyful Noise will perform December 9th at the Grant City United Methodist Church. It is a wonderful time to come and support the youth ministry. What they learn will go with them all their lives. I'm sure they are working very hard to put on a good performance for God.

May we enter Advent Season with a desiring heart to serve, give thanks, and worship God more. Jesus is the reason for the season and my purpose for living. See you in church!

Obituary -- Guy "Bud" Allee 1929-2012

Guy Leland Allee, or Bud as you all knew him was born on December 2, 1929 in rural Sheridan area to Edmond Guy and Weltha Marie Carr Allee. He joined sisters Maryon and Joanne and later by Beverly, Doy and Martha. He attended rural schools until high school then graduated from Sheridan High School in 1947. After graduation Bud worked in construction in Wyoming then returned home to raise turkeys with his father. In 1951 he joined the Army and served until 1953 with one year of service in Japan. Upon his return he again raised turkeys and farmed. In 1954 he was united in marriage to Willa Pennington and thus began their 58 years together as partners in life. He also was a rural mail carrier and postmaster of the Sheridan post office but always remained a farmer.

     Those are the statistics…. Now let me tell you about the man I knew.

     From the stories I gleaned through the years, Dad was born ornery and stayed ornery….stories of his pranks are legendary! His sisters all would attest to the fact that the sole purpose of having pigtails was for him to pull and yank on! He would also take them to town on Saturday night so they could have a big night out…only problem was that he would also have a big night out and on several occasions, leave them stranded on a bench in front of a store waiting on him to pick them up…and wait they did…for hours! There were many stories of antics he and the Batt boys pulled off…one of which landed him in the hospital in Colorado after he and “Lily” crashed their motorcycles. Growing up, many stories would leak out of things dad did in his youth, and I can remember thinking, that can’t be my dad….those things sounded like fun and like something I would do and get grounded for! It was quite a turning point when I realized my dad wasn’t just the dad I knew but he was also a kid that knew how to have fun for I was quite sure there was no fun in him because he always seemed to want to squash any ideas I had for fun!! And besides, he always walked 10 miles to school, uphill both ways and worked from sunup to sunset everyday…there was never any time for fun…but I finally found out different and gained a new prospective on the man I knew as dad.

     My dad was my hero. I would always tell him that no matter what, I was his favorite daughter…he simply had no choice in the matter! I loved spending time with him….we were fishing buddies, mushroom hunters, his mechanical assistant and his sidekick anytime I could go with him to do chores. My dad could fix anything and do anything. He was mostly a self taught carpenter, electrician, and was a master improviser. If he needed something he just simply built it. My dad was the most self reliant man I knew and probably will know. Sterling and I would be rich today if I had a nickel for everytime I told him, “well my dad can fix it!” For better or worse, depending on who you ask, I most assuredly am my father’s daughter.

     Dad was a lover of knowledge. As a kid I would look at all the books my dad had purchased and I thought he could ready them all.. But he did…and many many more. His memory was impeccable and he could recall nearly every word he read. He belonged to the Masonic Lodge and held many offices that required tons of memorization for the lectures he would give and he was widely known as the man who knew his stuff! When I was a teen still at home, he decided he wanted to become an amateur radio operator. He learned Morse code and built his own radio from a kit. Later while in his mid 60’s he decided he wanted to fly an airplane. He took lessons, got his license and bought a plane. This was a hobby that he and my brother Steve enjoyed together.

     The family farm was very precious to dad and remained so to the end. He and mom build their lives around the farm and were partners in every sense of the word. They worked side by side in the fields and raised livestock for most of their married lives. We three kids also worked with them as a family and lived a great life on the farm.

     Dad loved his family very much. He still remained a kid at heart as he played pranks on we 3 kids and mom too. There was the time he threw a firecracker up my stairwell to get me out of bed…goofy songs he made up and would sing, most famously his “good old fashioned swine work” song….chasing cows was always an adventure with dad, we always  considered ourselves fortunate to have survived each chase. One of his most famous pranks was on Christmas one year. We had to save the best gift until last which according to him was the one he got mom. She had to stand with her eyes closed until he brought it out. And there, wrapped with a big red ribbon was a throne…the porcelain kind!!!! That to me ranks the most original Christmas gift ever!! He suggested we take a little patch of land by the farm and turn it into a small camping area which is known as “Papa Park.” The best part of summer was going to Papa Park for gatherings. Some of the best times as a family were spent there. He had nicknames for everyone and I do mean everyone! I know his nieces and nephews would agree…isn’t that right Singbong, Kinky Katrina, Kyle Rote and little Timmy? And for those of you who are old enough to remember the tv show “Dallas….” There was a cliffhanger episode that posed the famous question, ‘who shot JR?” The answer to that question wasn’t Kristen Sheperd….it was my dad! Really!! He and his cousin JR Peyton went hunting in their younger days and on one occasion there was an “oops” and JR ended up being shot in the knee. So even before the famous question was asked, we already had the answer!!

     Dad was very interested in the community. He was a member of the American Legion, Masonic Lodge and Order of Eastern Star, Sheridan Christian  Church, a founding member of the Community Betterment Club and Rural Housing Board and was instrumental in building the Sheridan Villa Apts. After moving to Sheridan he became mayor for several years and made many improvements to the town. He became very involved with geneology and has left behind a treasure of information for his family and others who are searching for their roots.

     Dad remained in good health for several years despite how he neglected his health. He remained a farmer at heart by raising a small garden in town and still enjoyed fishing. His family remained his biggest source of joy and comfort. This past June dads health declined to the point that he needed extra care and entered a nursing home in the Maryville, area. He was well cared for and loved by the staff at Nodaway Nursing Home and by staff of SSM Hospice.

     Dad passed away on November 21 with his son Christopher by his side. He leaves behind his wife, Willa sons Stephen and his children, Elise, Alex and Bailey, daughter Chandra and husband Sterling and their children Caleb and his wife Cassandra and son Corbin, and daughter Chelsey, son Christopher and wife Tamara and daughter Gracie,  Christopher and his wife LaRue and their children, Nickolas and Lindsey. He is also survived by sister Beverly Mayes and brother Doy.

     The family would like to express their love and thanks to the Nodaway Nursing Home and to SSM Hospice for their loving care….with special thanks to Kelly Colwell of Hopice. Thanks to the Christian Church for all they have done.

     Funeral Services were 10:30 A.M. Monday, November 26, 2012 at the Sheridan Christian Church in Sheridan. Chaplain Joshua Allee officiated. Military rites were by V.F. W. Post #3123.  The body will be cremated after services. Arrangements were under the direction of the Prugh-Dunfee Funeral Home in Grant City. 

--Written by Chandra (Allee) Hopkins

Shorthanded Bearcat Women Split in Colorado

The Northwest Missouri State women split their games in Lakewood, CO as they beat Texas Women's College, a playoff foe from two years ago during their Final Four run, 63-40 and then fell 71-68 to host Colorado Christian this past weekend. The team got some new career highs in Colorado, which will only help them down the road as they seek to establish more scoring threats. The goal for the team will be to take better care of the ball and to play better in the back end of back to back games. Both of their losses have come on the second end of back to back games. The Bearcats have struggled taking care of the ball without point guard Victoria Naylor, who was injured early on in the William Jewell loss and did not return. They have turned the ball over 25, 22, and 23 times in their last three games.

Against Texas Woman's University, the Bearcats took a 28-7 lead in the first 10 minutes of the game and never looked back. They turned the ball over 22 times, but forced 33 TWU turnovers in the win. Monique Stevens started in Naylor's place and had 5 assists and 6 steals. Northwest posted four in double figures; Annie Matthews had 14 points, followed by Maggie Marnin and Maryville produce Meridee Scott with 13. Ashleigh Nelson added 11. Tarkio product Denise McEnaney saw extended minutes in the game and had two steals in 17 minutes.

Northwest had some positives in the 71-68 loss to Colorado Christian; they had three players record career highs. Tember Schechinger led the scoring with a career high of 24; her career continues to take off as the scary thing is that she's only a freshman. Annie Matthews followed with a career high of 16 points and had a double double with 10 boards and a block. Monique Stevens had a career high of 11 points, getting her first double figure game as a Bearcat. The game was very evenly matched with neither team leading by more than 7 points. But in the end, the turnover bug was too much for the Bearcats as they turned the ball over 23 times and could only force 18. The Bearcats will know right away how much they have progressed during the year as they will travel to #8 Rogers State (OK) to face their toughest opponent of the year.

Bearcat Men Off to 5-0 Start

Northwest Missouri State's men are off to a 5-0 start following a 2-0 performance at the Bearcat Classic in Maryville last weekend. The Bearcats beat Upper Iowa 59-52 in Saturday's game and Southwest Minnesota State 74-61 in Sunday's matchup.

The Bearcats are the defending MIAA champion and are coming off a successful season and a trip to the national tournament. But they are starting without DeShaun Cooper, their leading scorer from last year, who is out with tendinitis. But in his absence, everyone else is stepping up and filling the void and Northwest is continuing to win games. When he returns, Northwest will be one of the best ballhandling teams in the area and will be one of the tallest as well, with three of their players listed at 6'8" or taller.

The Bearcats seem to have found a go-to player in his absence, with DeAngelo Hailey stepping up and scoring big in the Bearcat Classic. Matt Wallace has emerged as a steady point guard, getting 10 assists and two turnovers against constant pressure by Southwest in the second game. Alex Sullivan is a constant threat to score from deep, getting as many as 28 points in a game this year while all three of their 6'8"+ post players contributing in scoring down low.

Against Upper Iowa, the focus was to limit their backdoor looks and to value the basketball on every possession against a well-coached team that did not make very many mistakes. Northwest succeeded in both counts, only surrendering the ball seven times against the Peacocks. They got a lot of good looks in transition in building up a 10-3 lead right off the bat. Northern Iowa brought their defensive stopper, Jake Shonka, a tough defender and intimidator who took up a lot of room underneath. That, plus some backdoor looks, brought the Peacocks back to within one at one point; offensively, Shonka was altering shots in the paint. Finally, Grant Cozad came off the bench to give Northwest a spark, getting four quick points to give the Bearcats some badly needed cushion. Northwest went into the locker up 25-19.

Given the low-scoring nature of the contest, every possession was important for both teams and the winner would be the one that did the best job valuing the basketball. Matt Wallace's half-court lob to Dillon Starzl with 18:16 left in the half made it 30-21, a lead that Northwest would maintain until halfway through the second half.

Northwest then got sloppy on a couple of possessions as Upper Iowa took advantage and closed to within four and they allowed Upper Iowa's best driver, Joey Woods, to get loose underneath a couple of times. But then DeAngelo Haley came in and started hitting for Northwest a couple of times, pushing their lead back to 48-39. But then Upper Iowa hit a 3-pointer and a pair of Haley looks went in and out as the Peacocks closed back to within 50-46. But then a Peacock 3-pointer went in and ont that would have cut it to one and St. Joseph Lafayette product Bryson Williams, who had been missing all night, flipped one up that went in to make it 52-46; that play turned out to be a momentum killer for Upper Iowa. Haley contributed a pair of buckets and Northwest was able to get some critical offensive boards down the stretch to extend some possessions.

For Northwest, Haley led with 13 points and Starzl added 12. They had eight players in the scoring column for the night. Alex Sullivan added eight and Grant Cozad had seven off the bench.

The Bearcats followed the same formula in their 74-62 win over Southwest Minnesota State. They jumped out to an early lead and then successfully weathered all of the Mustang's comeback attempts and got a ton of critical offensive boards down the stretch to run out the clock and get the win.

This time, Northwest landed 9 players in the scoring column. Haley once again led with 20 points, followed by Dillon Starzl with 16 and Alex Sullivan with 14. Northwest jumped out to a 6-2 lead, prompting Southwest to call timeout and switch to a zone. But Northwest hit a 3-pointer and then they pushed it to a 19-8 lead at the 11:30 mark. But then Northwest started to get sloppy on the offensive end and Southwest finally started to get into an offensive rhythm, getting the ball into their post player, Nick Smith, at will. But they were not able to get any closer than 8 as Haley hit some timely shots to keep Northwest in front.

Northwest weathered an early storm by Southwest early in the second half and started working the ball into Dillon Starzl at will as they went ahead 51-37 with 14:55 left in the second half. Southwest tried to switch from their normal pick and roll game into a passing game, but Northwest's post players were swinging it to the weak-size 3-point shooters and recognizing the double teams which were coming their way. Consequently, Northwest went up 61-46 with 8:38 left, their biggest lead of the night.

Finally, Southwest made another adjustment and began jumping passes on defense; the move was successful in switching the momentum in their favor. Finally, Mustang player Jordan Buddenhagen, who had not scored all night to that point, suddenly knocked down back to back 3-pointers to cut Northwest's lead to 65-60. But then Southwest broke down on defense as they overextended on their press and nobody got back on defense to guard Dillon Starzl, who got behind the press and dunked to make it 67-60. Southwest answered to cut it to 67-62, but then Tyler Funk kept an offensive possession alive with an offensive board and that led to a DeAngelo Haley 3-pointer to make it 70-62 with 1:42 left. Haley then took a charge on defense and Northwest scored again to put it out of reach at 72-62.

NEN Girls Struggle vs. Albany Zone, Fall 34-28

It was two completely different teams that showed up last Tuesday night when Northeast Nodaway's girls played Albany. The Bluejays led Albany 8-2 after one quarter. But after Albany switched from a man to man to a zone, Northeast looked lost and struggled the rest of the way, falling 34-28. The focus of the game for Northeast was to speed the game into a up-tempo game and use their depth to their advantage. But Albany, after the first quarter, was able to successfully dictate the tempo to their advantage by slowing the game to a crawl.

The Bluejays are a young team this year with only one senior, which means that the team will have to find someone to step up. "We had a great first quarter, and then we struggled against their zone," said Coach Vance Proffitt. "We need to find someone to step up and take control and be a leader." The only player to score for Northeast was Taryn Farnan, who had a career high 10 points on 8 of 12 free throw shooting. Her ability to go to the basket and draw contact kept Northeast in the game. But nobody else scored more than four. "Defensively, we played well; we held them to 34 points," said Proffitt. "But our offense is going to be a struggle until we have someone step up and score. We're a young team this year, so it will come with experience."

After the first quarter, Albany whittled down the Northeast lead to 14-12 despite five points for Taryn Farnan in the period. Northeast was forcing too many passes on offense and did not have enough patience to break down the Albany zone and did not have enough outside shooting to force them out of it. The second half featured four ties as neither team could take over. But then Albany showed a lot of different things that they had not shown in the past; shooter Megan Poppa showed a newfound ability to drive to the basket for some points and Morgan Combs, normally a rebounding specialist, showed a newfound baseline jumper. Albany's advantage in experience paid off as both Poppa and Combs had 5 each in the last four minutes and Northeast gave up a critical offensive board that allowed Albany to go up two scores with 1:35 left for the first time in the game.

Taryn Farnan led the scoring for Northeast with 10 points. The Bluejays got seven players in the scoring column including two freshmen; the focus will be to use their depth to their advantage in upcoming games as well as showing more patience against zones and valuing every possession in low-scoring games. Jill Spire and Kerrigan Adwell had 4 each, Dallis Coffelt and Claudia Wiederholt had 3 each, and Kaysie Wiederholt and Brianna Riley, a pair of sophomores, had 2 each.

Doing the Little Things Key to NEN Boys Improvement

Doing the little things will be key to the Northeast Nodaway boys' improvement this year, said Coach Chaim Jenkins following Northeast Nodaway's 52-40 loss to Albany last Tuesday. "They did the little things well and we didn't," he said. He said that they were farther along than last year's squad was, but that they still needed to get better. He said that he wanted everyone on the floor to be a scorer at any given time. "They're all good scorers; they just need to have confidence in themselves and the shots will start to fall," he said.

Northeast Nodaway will feature a lot of size this year; one of the challenges for Jenkins will be to mesh it with the guard play that was Northeast's strength last year. Sage DeLong, who moved back to Northeast, provided a ton of blocks and boards even though he didn't have a lot of points. He showed that he had developed to the point where he earned varsity playing time. Joel Scroggie has grown to 6'6" and also provided a strong inside presence. The key will be to come together as a team. "Once we take it to the next level, we'll be OK," said Jenkins. Northeast returns Aaron Patton, Kevin Stoll, and Steve Schulte. Aaron and Kevin will be counted on to take over in critical situations. Steve Schulte, who has grown a couple of inches since last year, will handle a lot of the point guard chores along with knocking down some outside shots. "He's gotten a lot more aggressive since last year," said Jenkins. Schulte, despite his small frame, showed a lot of jumping ability as he had three rejections for the night, leaping high into the air to swat each one.

Northeast dug themselves into a 13-4 early and never led against Albany. They struggled against Albany's three-quarters court press on offense and didn't have an answer for Tyler Lupfer of Albany on defense. Lupfer scored seven of Albany's 13 points during the run. Northeast finally began using their size to their advantage and cut it to 13-9 as the game turned into a track meet with both teams trying to race the other out of the gym. But Albany continued to beat Northeast down the court and pushed it back up to 25-14 and maintained that lead until the third quarter.

Northeast finally got their big guns loose in the third quarter as Kevin Stoll and Aaron Patton had four each and Garrett Jackson added a 3-pointer as Northeast came to within 31-29 at one point in the period. Garrett, only a sophomore, showed a lot more confidence this year in his shot, getting all eight of his points in the second half. But Albany went to Lupfer again, lobbing it in to him at will and pushing it back up to 44-33 and Northeast could not come closer than eight the rest of the way.

Kevin Stoll led the scoring with 14 points. Aaron Patton, who battled foul trouble during the evening, added 9. Garrett Jackson had 8. Tyler Schmitz had 3, and Steve Schulte, Joel Scroggie, and Sage DeLong had 2 each.

Tracey Steele Passes Bar Exam

Tracey Steele, a Worth County High School grad, has passed his bar exam, the Sheridan Express has learned. He studied law at the University of California-Irvine. He was a TV anchor from 1993 to 2009; he worked at KQ2 in St. Joseph from 1993 to 1995. In 2011, he was employed by Milbank, Tweed, Hadley, & McCloy LLP as a summer associate in Los Angeles. Besides his law degree, he is a graduate of Northwest Missouri State, where he got a degree in broadcasting.

Sheridan Birthdays & Anniversaries

December Birthdays
2 -- Karen Swaney; 4 -- Charles Force; 5 -- Kathy Cottrell, Melanie New; 6 -- Sarah Finch; 7 -- Brianna Lynn Riley, Ralph Kobbe; 8 -- Bob Young; 10 -- Doy Allee; 11 -- Beverly Ruckman, Brad Hill; 12 -- Joshua Miller; 13 -- Icle Young; 14 -- Chris Owens, Chelsie Hinshaw; 15 -- Caleb Hinshaw; 16 -- Adam Austin; 17 -- Brian Monticue; 18 -- Brandi Force; 19 -- Allison Larison, Paula Hansen, Dean Thomas, Shaun Dignan; 21 -- Nicholas Allee; 22 -- Darwin Force, Mitchell Andrews, Charlea Lewis; 23 -- Tanya Belokonny; 24 -- Joe Stark; 25 -- Marcia Rush, Jesse Stark; 26 -- Mike Rowe, Jason Meredith; 27 -- Cody Staten, Charlotte Belekonny, Ed Meek; 28 -- Nathan Fitzgerald, Christie Owens; 29 -- Loretta Hart, Larry Hibbs; 30 -- Sherry Evans; 31 -- P.J. Sanders, Braden Rowe.

December Anniversaries
26 -- David & Karla Parman; 28 -- Scott & Judy Houk; 29 -- Bob & Peggy Young.

Santa to Visit Sheridan December 15th

Santa Claus, who will visit Grant City at the Holiday Bazaar, will also visit Sheridan on December 15th courtesy of the Sheridan CBC. At 2 p.m. that afternoon, Santa will take time out of his busy schedule and arrive in Sheridan on a firetruck and visit kids and well-wishers at the Sheridan City Hall. Santa is once again making preparations for delivering toys to children around the world and has said that he has no plans to downsize his operation given the increasing need.

Recycling Bin Available for County

Grant City, Worth County, and the Worth County School are sponsoring recycling for all Worth County citizens. A recycling container has been placed at the school at the north end of the track. It is available 24 hours a day; the site will be monitored. The following products are being accepted -- paper products (cardboard, newspapers, magazines, catalogs, copy paper, used envelopes), all grades of plastic products, along with tin and aluminum. You do not have to remove labels, but all items must be clean. For more information, please contact (660) 564-3698 or (660) 564-7111. Please do not place items that are not listed in the containers. If problems occur, the program will be restricted to certain hours. Items go to the Opportunity Workshop for sorting.

Jack Remembers -- Army Caste

     I have to laugh when the Washington high society do-gooders realize their hero General was having an affair at taxpayer expense in Afghanistan with some woman who was suppose to be writing a book.  Someone should write a book on how the Army really works.  It is the perfect enforced caste system comprised of three groups or classes, the lowest being the enlisted men (EM) Private and Corporals, the middle class being the Sergeants or Non-Commissioned Officers (NCO), and the privileged or ruling class, the Officers. 

     A Corporal can tell a Private what to do.  The Sergeants can tell the Corporals and Privates what to do.  But both the EM and NCO’s have to salute the lowly Second Lieutenant who can tell them all what to do.  The system is enforced by Company punishment and court marshals.  As an example, if an EM was a few minutes late getting back to camp on a pass, it was Company punishment which was a four hour march up a nearby mountain in the middle of the night, administered by a Sergeant.  If he was hours late, it was a court marshal by an Officer, which resulted in “6 and 2/3rds”, six months in the stockade and 2/3rds of his salary. 

     Washington’s favorite General while on active duty and before he was Director of the CIA was paid $18,000 per month and had hundreds of thousands of Army troops and personnel under him who all had to salute him.  His only boss was the President. He obviously thought he was above the law.  

     One of my jobs as a Jeep driver was to haul the prisoners to the stockade to serve their “six and 2/3rds” punishment.  I hauled dozens, but only one Staff Sergeant, and no Officers. 

      Jack can be reached at PO Box 40, Oak Grove, MO 64075, or jackremembers@aol.com.  Visit www.jackremembers.com

Obituary -- Gwynetha "Granny" Glenn 1939-2012

Gwynetha was born in Maryville at Landfather's Hospital to Mary and Ray Sparks. During her elementary years, she attended Quitman for 2-3 years. Then, they moved north of Maryville and went to Myrtle Tree Country School. The family then moved to a farm east of Maryville, where she attended Horace Mann until graduation. She attended Northwest Missouri College for 1 1/2 years for business. Following her time in college, she worked at the mental institution in St. Joseph. She also spent time working at Smith Drug in Maryville, Terry Reynolds, King's, Alvin Gray's, and south of Maryville at what they called the 5 Mile Corner.

In 1959, she was united in marriage to Gilbert Davis of Graham, MO. To this union, 5 children were born -- Gwyanda, Gaynetta, Gailen, Gerald Wayne, and Gwendolyn Sue. During this time, they ran milk routes out of Maryville. The family then moved to northern Iowa and lived in Mount Etna and Wall Lake early on and finally Shinrone Farms in Odebolt, IA. The family separated and Granny moved to Miles City, Montana.

From Montana, she went to a ranch in Gordan, NE in the Nebraska sand hills. She then finally returned to live in The Nation east and north of Allendale. Along with all of her children, Granny worked hard. During this time, Granny again married to Clinton Glenn. Together with the help of the children, they ran contract cattle. Granny always had a lot of fun having Granny's Flea Market where everyone had a great time. She then started Granny's Cafe in Grant City. She also cooked several places around the area and would always let you eat and pay later if you didn't have the money. She took in many kids without a home over her lifetime. In her later years, she moved to Grant City with her longtime friend Ray Christensen.

Preceding her in death are her parents Ray and Mary Sparks, brother Jimmy Ray Sparks, son-in-law Randy Harker, and son-in-law Jim Snyder.

Left to cherish her memory are brother Gary Sparks of Tarkio, longtime friend Ray Christensen of the home, daughters Gwyanda Harker of Grant City; Gaynetta (Ned) Snyder and friend Scott Wheatcraft of Browning, MO; Gwendolyn (Susie) Haidsiak and husband Max of Red Oak; sons Gailen (Melinda) Davis of St. John, KS and Gerald Wayne (Sondra) Davis of St. John, KS; 13 grandchildren, and 9 great-grandchildren along with many nieces, nephews, and friends.

Funeral services were held at the Andrews Funeral Home on Tuesday, November 20th 2012 at 2:00 p.m. Pastor Len Green officiated. Interment was in the New Friendship Cemetery.

Opinion -- A Bipartisan Goal: Good Constituent Service

By Lee H. Hamilton

 

The rigors of the campaign are still fresh, but for newly elected House members and senators, the hard part is just beginning. Already, they’re inundated with advice on the issues they’ll be facing: the fiscal cliff, crises overseas, how to behave in a highly partisan Congress.

 

All of this will take time to sort out. But there’s one task I’d advise them to tackle right away, whatever their party: learning how to do constituent services right.

 

Many years ago, when I was still in the House, I accompanied a senator to a public meeting. A woman approached him afterward to ask for help with a Social Security problem. Irritably, my colleague told her that he didn’t have time; he had important policy issues to deal with. I was stunned. So was the woman. I have never forgotten the look of helpless chagrin on her face.

 

Self-interest alone would have counseled a more helpful approach. I ran into someone from my district once who told me, “I don’t agree with you most of the time, but I’m voting for you because you take good care of your constituents.” People notice. And they care. That senator who rebuffed the plea for help? He was defeated in the next election.

 

But there’s more to it than just currying favor with the electorate. Good constituent service, I believe, is crucial to being a good elected representative.

 

There’s no mystery why. The federal government is vast, complex, and confusing, and it touches far more lives than any private company. Sometimes it’s a model of efficiency, but too often it’s agonizingly slow to get off a passport or approve a disability payment. And it makes mistakes — a transposed Social Security number, a wrong address, a benefit miscalculation — and then drags its heels fixing them. Its rules and regulations can be hard to navigate. Ordinary Americans get caught up in the gears, and they need help.

 

As a member of Congress, you can learn a lot by paying attention. Though it’s a habit for legislators to think of policy-making and constituent service as two distinct halves of their responsibilities, that’s not always the case. The problems people are having keep you alert to what might need to be done legislatively. If there’s a huge backlog of disability cases at the Social Security Administration, for instance, or a surge of veterans having trouble getting their benefits, that ought to be a warning sign. Workers in those agencies may be struggling to remain efficient, or they may need additional staff and resources — either way, it bears investigating and, possibly, legislative action.

 

The challenge, of course, is that helping constituents with their problems isn’t easy. It demands a commitment of staff and time. It means being careful to avoid even a hint that a constituent’s party affiliation matters. It requires walking a fine line with the bureaucracy — which can sometimes resent congressional “meddling” — so that you’re helpful without going overboard on a constituent’s behalf. Sometimes, the people you’re helping don’t tell the whole story. The best you can do is ask for fair and prompt consideration for their pleas, without putting yourself at cross-purposes with either the law or the federal officials you work with daily.

 

But none of this is a reason to downplay constituent service. Because the need is endless. I used to set up shop in a local post office in my district, and was constantly amazed at how many people would turn out. They needed help getting their mail delivered properly, or tracking a lost Social Security check. They were having problems with the IRS, or getting enrolled for veterans benefits. They got confused by the overlapping responsibilities of different levels of government, and needed help finding the right person to call.

 

The point is, these problems are constant. I’ve been out of public office for over a decade, yet the other day a neighbor stopped me on the street to ask for help speeding up a visa application. Americans need a point of contact with their government. If you’re a public official — or even an ex-public official — get used to the idea that you’re it.

 

Lee Hamilton is Director of the Center on Congress at Indiana University. He was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives for 34 years.

MODOT Crews to do Pothole Patching

Gentry County

• U.S. Hwy 169 - From U.S. Hwy 136 to Route O; shoulder & guardrail work, Nov. 26-30
• Various routes - Pothole patching, Nov. 26-30

Harrison County

• Various routes - Pothole patching, Nov. 26-30
• Various routes - Shoulder work, Nov. 26-30

Nodaway County

• U.S. Hwy 71 - At Hawk Road; culvert replacement, Nov. 26
• Route FF - From U.S. Hwy 71 to Route B; pothole patching, Nov. 26-27
• Route AD - From Route B to the end of state maintenance; pothole patching, Nov. 28-29
• Various routes - Pothole patching, Nov. 26-30
• Route 148 - Shoulder work, Nov. 27-30

Worth County

• Various routes - Pothole patching, Nov. 26-30

Grant City Council Contributes Money for Economic Development

A Regular Board of Aldermen meeting was held Tuesday November 20^th, 2012, 7:00P.M. at City Hall.

Present: Mayor Debbie Roach, Aldermen: Dennis Downing, Bruce Downing, Catherine Runde, and Cathy James. Clerk: Ayvonne Morin, Carl Staton, Greg Miller and Tammy Ueligger

Mayor called meeting to order 7:00 p.m.

 Minutes: Dennis Downing made motion to approve minutes as written for October 17^th, & October 25^th, 2012, Catherine Runde, seconded, motion carried.

List of Bills/Supplies: Cathy James made motion to approve the list of bills/supplies, Dennis Downing, seconded, motion carried.

Economic Developer: Tammy Ueligger was present to give the board report. She also asked for a letter

of support for the wood-chipper grant she is working on. She also talked about various projects she

has been working on...business of the month: Wool Shop, business directory. After discussion, Catherine

Runde made motion to approve$100.00 donations towards the business directory, with 50 directories

available at City Hall for new customers, Cathy James, seconded, motion carried.

Cathy James made motion to approve $188.00(two nights) towards motel expenses for the economic developer to attend a conference in April of 2013, Catherine Runde, seconded, motion carried.

Catherine Runde made motion to approve a donation towards the economic developer’s salary of

$6500.00, for 2013, Bruce Downing, seconded, motion carried.

NW Mo. Enterprise Facilitator: Cathy James made motion to approve a $500.00 donation to

NW Mo. Enterprise Facilitator, Dennis Downing, seconded, motion carried.

Headstart: Catherine Runde made motion to approve a $25.00 donation to Headstart towards

playground equipment, Bruce Downing, seconded, motion carried.

City Hall repairs: City crew will replace some portions of concrete in front of City Hall.

Water/Sewer: Greg Miller was present to discuss repairs on the water tower. He will contact

MRWA about repairs and specialized contractors. Alderman Downing will contact Liquid Engineering

about quote from last month, and get specs for bid for December.

Waterline Project: Clerk gave board report from Snyder & Associates.

Bathhouse/Pool Park:  New ADA doors should be here by next week and city crew will

Install.

PWD: Carl Staton gave report for the month. Also discussed narrowband radios that the City will

have to upgrade. City waiting on quote from Midwest Mobile. This will be on December’s agenda.

Special Events Permit: Catherine Runde made motion to approve the permit with a fee of $25.00

per event, Dennis Downing, seconded, motion carried.

Building Permits: No permits this month.

Mayor/Aldermen/Reports/Topics:  PWD to post no hunting signs at lagoon.

Holiday Bazaar is scheduled for December 1, 2012 at the school. Trash pick-up, week

of Christmas, will be on MONDAY December 24^th, 2012. An extra dumpster will be

available at the city barn, for city customers that may have extra trash due to the holiday.

Catherine Runde gave gas department report for the month. Board also approved for

Gas Superintendent to purchase a few 400 sized meters.

Christmas Bonus Employees: Bruce Downing made motion for $100.00 for full-time

employees, $25.00 for part-time employees, Cathy James, seconded, motion carried.

Dennis Downing made motion to adjourn meeting, Catherine Runde, seconded, motion carried, meeting adjourned. 9:25 p.m.

Sheridan Shamrocks Make Plans for Widow & Widower's Supper

Sheridan Shamrocks met on Monday, November 12 at 4 p.m. at Sheridan Grocery and Cafe.  President Liz Lyle called the meeting to order.  Birthday wishes were given to Andrew Alarcon, Taylor Sanders, and Cash Jacobs.  Minutes from the October meeting were approved.  Members planned the Widow and Widowers Supper which will be held on Thursday, December 6 at 4 p.m. at Sheridan Grocery and Cafe.  Items were collected to send to Tim Martin while serving in Afghanistan.  His mother, Candy Martin, made a short presentation to members and thanked them for the package.  The next meeting will be December 3 at 4 p.m.  The Sanders family will provide refreshments.  Kristen New moved to adjourn the meeting.  Thanks were given to the New family for providing refreshments.  Following the refreshments, members made lollipop turkeys.  Members present included Tyler New, Elias Alarcon, Megan Cassavaugh, Ragan Allee, Taylor Sanders, Allison Larison, and Cash and Chance Jacobs.  Adult leaders present included Karla Parman, Miranda Lyle, Rebecca New, Jessica Sanders, and Marybeth Taute.

The Worth County 4-H Council met on Monday, November 19 at 4 p.m. at the Extension Office in Grant City.  Members present included Jillian Hardy, Elizabeth Lyle, Maddie Taute, Nevada Hoff, and Tate Welch.  Liz called the meeting to order.  Adult leader Miranda Lyle read the secretary's and treasurer's report and both were approved.  Members voted to pay the bills as presented.  Members approved the following slate of officers: Jillian, President; Carrissa Runde, Secretary; Nevada, Vice-President; and the Allendale Arrows representative as Treasurer.  Karla Parman, YPA, presented information on the regional Energizer to be held in Hamilton in January. She also presented information regarding the new regions for 4-H.  Members voted to use funds raised for the fairgrounds to pay for motion sensitive lighting around the fairgrounds building.  Karla asked that clubs send her meeting times so she may attend a regular club meeting.  Liz gave a report on the activities of the Sheridan Shamrocks.  Tate and Jillian reported on the activities of the West Fork Boosters.  Liz made a motion to adjourn.

Editorial -- The Time for Partisan Ideology is Over.

The American people have spoken -- Barack Obama will be the President for the next four years. The American people don't completely buy into his ideas, given that they reelected a Republican Congress. But based on the election results, they feel he is still the best person for the job. Now that he's reelected, we need to let him be President. I would have said the same thing had Mitt Romney been e

lected.

Now is not the time for ideology or stonewalling. President Obama is not a socialist and most people who supported Romney are not racist. The President and Congress were elected to work together, not engage in partisan grandstanding. We need to get a budget passed and we need to decide what direction we wish to go. The way our political system is set up, nobody is going to get their way all the time; sometimes, we have to give up some of what we want so that our system of government can continue to function. To do otherwise will mean that billions of dollars of farm subsidies, upon which a lot of us live off of, will be in jeopardy along with funding for roads, bridges, and schools.

 

The time for partisan ideology and grandstanding is over. Today, we were driving over Route F, which had been cobbled together by the Highway Department a few times since 2006. It is getting into bad shape. We have driven along Route C from Allendale to Albany, which had always been a good alternative to 169, which was getting into bad shape. Now, that is no longer possible; there are places along C which are not passable at speeds greater than 30 miles per hour. Just as an example, for Congress not to act and reach a deal with President Obama would risk turning all of our roads into similar shape, not just our lettered roads. There would no longer be adequate funding for our roads and bridges should the massive automatic spending cuts be triggered in January of next year.

The Pew Research Center has done research into the attitudes of the American people towards deficit reduction and the great majority of the American people have spoken -- most people want compromise and not confrontation. 67% of Americans want Republicans to work with Obama while 72% of Americans want Obama to work with the Republicans.

There is another broad area of agreement as well -- most Americans (56%) want a smaller government providing fewer services instead of a bigger government providing more services. And (same link), most Americans want a combination of higher taxes and reduced services (69%), not one or the other. There are two common sense ways of reducing the size of government that will not threaten basic programs such as Medicare, Medicaid, or Social Security -- one was put forward by a CEO on NPR's Morning Edition on Wednesday, November 21st, who pointed out that by simply eliminating duplication of tests in Medicaid and Medicare, we could save $750 billion annually. The same CEO was willing to pay more taxes in order to get rid of the deficit and pointed out that most of his fellow upper-income friends were willing to do the same thing. Another hundreds of billions can be saved by identifying and eliminating defense programs that have been passed by politicians engaging in pork barrel politics, but which the Department of Defense identifies as a want instead of a need.

 

 The problem comes when identifying specific programs to cut. Many people want to reduce the size and scope of government, but don't want their pet projects cut. So what we should do is focus on cuts that most of us agree on and have a debate over others in which there is a partisan split. Ideas which are opposed across the board should be off the table.

With that in mind, here is what the Pew polling finds general agreement on:

--Reduce Medicare income for higher income seniors;

--Limit tax deductions for large corporations;

--Raise tax on high income earners;

--Freeze salaries of federal workers;

--Raise Social Security cap for affluent earners.

Those areas in which there is a partisan split are as follows:

--Raise income taxes on income over $250,000 -- Will this take a substantial chunk out of the deficit, or will the government be taking money that would have otherwise been invested in the economy?

--Reduce military defense spending -- Now that we are leaving Afghanistan in 2014, what are our biggest national security concerns and how do we pay to address them?

--Raise taxes on investment income -- See the question on income taxes over $250,000.

--Reduce funding to help lower-income Americans -- Is it necessary to help people get back on their feet, or is it an incentive for people not to find work?

--Reduce aid to the world's needy -- Do we have a moral obligation to give to the world's needy, and if so, how do we keep it from going into the wrong hands?

These are areas in which we should not necessarily include as part of the package, but that we should have a constructive debate over.

Areas which voters have expressed disapproval of and which should be off the table include:

--Limit home mortgage interest deduction;

--Gradually raise the Social Security retirement age;

--Raise peoples' Medicare health care contributions;

--Reduce funding for college student loans;

--Reduce funding for scientific research;

--Reduce federal funding for education;

--National sales tax;

--Raise Medicare contributions;

--Reduce federal funding to states;

--Raise the gas tax;

--Tax employer-provided health insurance. 

Any agreement that comes out of the present talks between the Obama administration and House Republicans must respect the wishes of the American people. It must protect everything that our people have identified as needs and not wants. To do otherwise would undermine the foundations of our democracy and make a mockery of our political system even more than it is now. Politicians of both parties will suffer at the polls come 2014 and 2016.